Son turns grief into advocacy with ‘More Than a Number’ program [Video]

MACON, Ga. — A Macon journalist transformed the darkest moment of his life into a mission of compassion and advocacy. 

Following the tragic murder of his father in 2017, Justin Baxley, with 11Alive’s sister station, WMAZ,  launched the “More Than a Number” website. 

The goal of this project? To honor lives lost to violent crime, support their loved ones and promote more empathetic journalism.

Justin’s father, Michael Baxley, was 53 years old when he was gunned down during a robbery in his Macon home in 2017. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office delivered the devastating news — leaving Justin to grapple with the aftermath.

“My life changed in that moment,” Justin recalled the moment when the investigator called him that day. “She said, ‘Justin, we found your dad dead.'”

That pain was …